BUSINESS TOOLS

Advanced coverage of three essential management practices required for long-term business success: problem
identification and decision-making, strategic thinking, and organizational change. Global business and ethical
issues will also be discussed.

Prerequisites
Admission to the M.B.A program and permission of the M.B.A. director.

This course refines the decision makers skills by developing an understanding of various
advanced quantitative tools and utilizing those tools to provide better analysis of
information upon which to base a decision. Students will focus on selecting appropriate
modeling techniques for deriving structured analysis of a variety of decision challenges
when dealing with uncertainty. Statistical and management science techniques will be
discussed.

Prerequisites
Completion of the required field of competencies and admission to the M.B.A. program or consent
of the M.B.A. director.

An advanced view of the use of accounting information for managerial decision-making. Emphasis
is placed on analyzing the cost information of both manufacturing and service organizations, and
using that information for purposes of cost control, profitability analysis, and capital budgeting.
The strategic use of accounting information and the international aspects of the use of accounting
information are developed.

Prerequisites
Admission to the M.B.A. program and permission of the M.B.A. director.

A study of the systems used to accumulate, classify, and organize information to
facilitate managerial decision-making. Emphasis is placed on the planning, design,
and implementation of computer augmented management information systems

Prerequisites
Proficiency in the computer area.

INTEGRATIVE SEMINARS

This course focuses on the management of an organization’s workforce in order to achieve
strategic business objectives. Workforce management strategies at the individual, team,
and organizational levels are considered. Skills are developed in the assessment of
workforce situations and development of programs to enhance workforce effectiveness. The
role of human resource management systems is also discussed.

Prerequisites
Prerequisite or Co-requisite: two of 610, 612, 613, or 614 or approval of M.B.A. director.

An analysis of financial problems of business concerns using lectures, case studies, and
outside readings. Topics of strategic significance include determination of capital needs,
the cost of capital, analysis of financial statements, capital budgeting decisions, leasing
analysis, dividends policy, and return and risk analysis. Materials from other functional
areas will also be integrated in the course through analysis of selected case studies, the
use of outside guest speakers, and/or the use of faculty from other business areas. The
cases will in addition to the functional areas, cover topics on computer based financial
modeling, corporate governance, ethics, and globalization.

A study of how successful companies may use the operations function to create a strategic
competitive advantage. Current issues and management methods used to produce goods and services
in the modern global enterprise will be considered. Emphasis will be placed on the need to
apply appropriate strategies and methods in a variety of manufacturing and service situations
and in frequently changing competitive environments.

SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES

Examines business negotiation principles and practices. Builds skills in the process of
negotiating business agreements within and across organizations. MKTG 545 is a graduate
alternative for MKTG 445 and additional work of a research nature will be required for
graduate credit. MKTG 545 may not be taken if MKTG 445 was taken as an undergraduate.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint the student with the risk management discipline,
the nature of the insurance device, and its limitations in treating loss exposures, the
structure and analysis of commercial insurance contracts (property, casualty), and
fundamentals of group life and health insurance. Also the role of social insurance is
considered. Finally, contemporary insurance and risk management issues germane to the
topic at hand are examined.

This course prepares students to identify, plan, and execute projects in organizational
settings. Students learn standard methodologies for planning and implementing projects,
and are exposed to overviews of numerous supporting skill sets. Learning is heavily
experiential, with each student having the opportunity to manage a significant portion
of a realistic project.

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE

This is the capstone course in the M.B.A. Program. Using a dynamic strategic management model,
students will use the concepts and tools they have developed in their core M.B.A. courses to
analyze situations (opportunities and problems) from a cross-functional or integrative
perspective, analyze decisions that enhance the competitiveness of the entire firm, and
understand the management of the implementation process to achieve the desired strategy.
All three stages will be done in the context of existing organizations.

Prerequisites
621, 622, 623, and 624 or consent of the M.B.A. Director.

MOVE AHEAD…

Classes meet at Indiana State's Plainfield location for ten consecutive
weeks each term. Classes are held from 5:30-10:00 p.m. on Tuesday or
Thursday evenings, and you'll take two classes each term, alternating from
one week to the next.

The following schedule shows the classes offered each term. You'll have several
weeks between terms to help you balance work, family, and school.